


Last Room in the Inn

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2002-06-30
Updated: 2002-06-30
Packaged: 2019-05-15 15:03:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14792747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of theWest Wing Fanfiction Central, a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in theannouncement post.





	Last Room in the Inn

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**The Last Room in the Inn**

**by:** Dee 

**Category/Pairing:** Josh/Donna  
**Rating: MATURE**  
**Spoilers:** Thru Stirred  


**Notes:** Somewhere on the campaign trail. This story is for anyone whoever got stuck in the middle seat on a red eye. Follows: "Cool People Sit in the Back"  


"Wait. Stop. Turn back."

Josh bumped into Donna from behind. 

She looked over her shoulder at him. "Maybe you didn't pick up on the stop part."

"I'm tired."

"Me too. But we can't stay here."

"Why not?"

Donna moved aside and gestured with her hand toward the one bed. 

"They said they were doubles," Josh whimpered. He was so tired he thought for sure his body would simply collapse from the inside.

"They lied."

"Dohhhnaaa."

"Josh, it's one bed. We can't stay here."

"But this was the last room in the motel."

"Right. Which means we need to find another motel. I was willing to compromise on the one room two bed issue, but I'm not sharing a bed with you."

"Would it matter at this point if I said that even if you were Britney Spears I still don't think I would be able to get it up? Nothing is going to happen, Donna."

"It's not the point, Josh." Then she looked at him disgustingly. "Britney Spears? Really. I'm so disappointed with you right now."

"You've seen the Slave video right?"

"Whatever," Donna mumbled. "The point is we can't share a bed."

"Why not?"

"Because what would people think?"

"That we've been working all day, all week in fact, that we're stuck in some backwater town because we couldn't get a flight out to D.C. until the morning, because we had to work harder and longer than everyone else�"

"Why did we have to do that?" Donna wondered.

"You're the one who said we should visit the shops downtown."

"I've got two words for you, Josh."

"Retail Politics. I know. I went didn't I? I bought scented soap, didn't I? My point is everyone else is gone. It's just us. There's one room�"

"And one bed."

"I'm tired, Donna. Don't make me get back in the car and find another motel."

"Fine."

He smiled then. A tired helpless smiled. He let his garment bag drop from his shoulder and the freedom from the oppressive weight of his luggage felt good.

"Just call Amy and let her know the situation. And if she agrees then we can stay here."

Josh's head fell and he bent over to pick up the bag once again, ready now to get back in the car and find another motel. 

They wandered down the long hallway back toward the registration desk when Josh stopped. 

Donna bumped into him from behind. "At least I said stop, first."

"We're going back to the room," he said suddenly determined.

"Josh."

"No, that's fine. I'll call Amy."

Donna followed him back to the room and stared at him while he fussed with the card in the door. Finally, he gave up and handed her the key. 

"You're going to call Amy, and tell her that we're sharing a bed? Have you lost your mind? I'm sorry, you lost your mind a few hours ago when you stuck that straw up your nose."

"I was trying to be funny."

"You weren't. Josh, Amy is not�"

"What the hell does she care, Donna!" Josh shouted. "We're two adults. We're tired. We need to sleep. There is a bed. I'm not going jump your bones. I presume you are not going to jump mine�"

"In your dreams," she muttered.

"Mostly. So what the hell would she care if we crashed on the same bed for one night?"

"Because she's your girlfriend, Josh. Because if I was your girlfriend and you called me to say you were just going to crash in the same bed as Amy, I would tell you to pick up your garment bag and high-tail it out of there mister, or you can kiss me and my sweet little farm girl ass good-bye."

Josh sighed. "Amy's not you." And didn't that pretty much say it all. If he were only slightly less drained, he might have taken a moment to let that thought sink in, but he was beat and he didn't have any mental energy left for deep thought. 

"Open the door, Donna."

Donna gazed at him for a minute. Then she must have reached some internal decision because she turned back to the door and slid the card into the lock. The green light blinked and they both basically stumbled into the room. 

"I call bathroom first."

"Fine," Josh said falling face forward on the bed. 

He closed his eyes and listened to the sound of Donna puttering around the room. She was, he decided, a putterer. First, she got her travel kit out, then she picked out her neatly folded pajamas. Josh heard the bathroom door click shut and a second later the sink started to run. 

If he'd been less exhausted he might have been able to stop his mind from wandering, and wondering exactly what was going on behind the door. Was she in her bra and panties right now? Was she rubbing pretty smelling lotion over her legs and arms? Brushing her soft blond hair, scrubbing her teeth with mint toothpaste? 

The image, as mundane as it was, aroused him. He was partly ashamed of himself because he'd promised her this wasn't going to happen and partly proud of himself for being able to get it up even when he was so physically and mentally spent. 

Not that he would act on it, of course. After all she was Donna. His assistant. More than that, his best friend. His confident. His partner in crime. His helpmate. His keeper. His right hand. His �.

She was a lot of things. But she wasn't his lover. That right he had reserved for Amy. His mind seemed to cloud over and he struggled to recall why that was?

Then he remembered the steps in front of his apartment, and the balloon animals, and the way she kept calling him and telling him he was a jackass and that he should come over and have sex with her anyway. So he did. 

And now Donna got all freaked out over armrests, and hotel beds. Well, in fairness she probably would have freaked out about the single bed with or without Amy. 

The fact is, he should have found another motel. If anyone got wind of this, forget what Amy would say, the press would have a field day. They had all wanted to make something out their relationship when she'd spent so much time with him helping him recover from the shooting. 

He remembered this one nasty reporter getting in her face back then, and Donna got that look. That, you peasant you dare to tangle with me, look. He knew the look because he'd taught it to her. She said she got it from CJ, but it was his look. She ended up making the guy look like a perverted sexist pig. Which, lets face it, he probably was. 

No, she was not romantically involved with her boss. That's what she had said. He believed her. So did the press. Or so he thought. 

Until Amy said that people thought that they were dating. Who? He should have asked her that. It might be weird now if he did. She might suspect something. Not that there was anything to suspect. 

Okay, maybe there was a little. He was still partially aroused and Donna was behind a door. He'd have to make sure that he kept his back to her throughout the night. 

The door opened and he could smell the lotion first. He stifled a groan. 

"Your turn."

Josh rolled off the bed and on to his feet. He closed the bathroom door behind him. Shoes, socks, pants and his shirt hit the floor. He stood there in a t-shirt and boxers and wondered what he was missing. Then he opened the bathroom door. "Donna�"

A hand poked through the opening holding his travel kit. 

"Thanks."

He took the kit, found his toothbrush and brushed his teeth. He wondered if Donna was out there lying on the bed getting turned on right now. He looked at the aging man in the mirror with his receding hairline, and slightly bulging belling, and doubted it. 

He opened the door again, and this time the room was pitched into darkness. "Why did you turn the lights out?"

"Because I didn't want to see you in your boxers," came the answer from the amorphous figure on the bed. 

"You've seen me in my boxers a million times."

"Not a million."

"A lot."

"Yes, but not before both of us were about to get into the same bed."

Donna logic. It was a strange and wondrous thing.

"Afraid my legs might turn you on?" he asked. It was his one remaining good feature. From all the running he did. That and his forearms. Amy went crazy over his forearms. He thought it was kind of weird, but whatever. 

"No."

He shrugged and made his way to the bed gingerly so as not to � "Ow!" Bump his shin against the bed. "Damnit, Donna!"

"It's not my fault you hit the bed."

"You turned off the lights."

"I told you�"

"Forget it. Forget it." He lifted the covers.

"Wait. We have to do this right."

"We do?"

"Yes. I am between the bottom sheet and the top sheet. You need to get between the top sheet and the spread."

"But the spread is scratchy underneath," Josh whined.

"Josh."

"Fine," he agreed. He lifted the spread and fell on to the bed. It was a big bed. He could barely tell there was someone else in it with him. Barely.

"This is so wrong," Donna mumbled softly.

"Why? I told you nothing was going to happen. I mean really, Donna. The idea is ridiculous." Not totally ridiculous. He was still a little hard.

Then he felt Donna turn towards him. He could see her eyes in the dark. "Ridiculous? Why ridiculous?"

"Huh?"

"You're saying the idea of going to bed with me is ridiculous. I want to know why. Don't you find me at all attractive?"

Josh threw a forearm over his eyes and groaned. "Donna, we are not going to have this conversation."

"Why not?"

"Because. Because we're in this bed together. Because I have a girlfriend who I am desperately trying to make it work with. Because you had Cliff�."

"I can't believe you brought his name up," she muttered.

"Why not? He started it."

"Started what?"

"This. All this."

Donna sat up. "What all this?"

"Us. The weirdness. We weren't weird like this before."

"No. You weren't weird like this before. You started it Josh, by not accepting the fact that I was entitled to a life."

"Oh that's not it," he grumbled and sat up on his arms. "We were different, Donna. Last year. Closer. Then you met Calley and �"

Donna laughed harshly. "Close! We were not close, Josh."

"We weren't?"

"Maybe in your twisted mind. You took advantage of me."

"I never�"

"You always."

"Okay, but only as an assistant."

"Not only as an assistant. That was the problem, Josh. You thought I would just stay, exactly where you put me. Exactly where I fit into your complicated life. Dr. Freeride did that too. He tried to put me some place and make me stay. I'm not a dog."

"Tell that to CJ."

"What?"

"Never mind," he sighed and fell back on the bed. "I'm sorry if I did that. I didn't mean to. I just� I hate change, Donna."

"I know."

"You do?"

"You freaked out when they changed the brand of coffee creamer in the office."

"It was good creamer."

"Josh," Donna growled.

"Sorry. Anyway maybe I did want things to stay like they were. I liked things the way they were. I thought� just thought, mind you� that we were� you know. Close."

"Okay."

"Can we sleep now?"

"Yes." Donna slid back under the covers.

Josh turned on his side away from her and wondered how the hell he was going to get any sleep tonight. 

"Josh?"

"Yeah?"

"Maybe I'm a little sorry I changed things."

"Okay." He didn't know what the hell it meant, but � "Okay."

The End.

Sequel: By The Seat of His Pants


End file.
